Lister unit for ditchers



Feb. 9, 1954 E. v. BRISCOE 2,668,376

LISTER UNIT FOR DITCHERS Fil'ed June- 24, 1950 2 Shee'tsSheet l I Ezmesl U. .Briscoe ATTORNEY Feb. 9, 1954 E. v. BRISCOE LISTER UNIT FOR DITCHERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Filed June 24, 1950 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 9, 1954 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" Ernest V. Briscoe, Kerrnan, Calif.

Application June 24, 1950, Serial No. 170,185

This invention relates in general to improvements in a tractor-drawn ditch digger and cleaner which includes upwardly and rearwardly inclined, divergent, main scraper blades which trail a centrally. disposed V shaped or lister plow.

A major object of the invention is to provide laterally adjustable extension blades intermediatetherear ends of the lister plow and corresponding forward ends of the main scraper blades, whereby earth flowing from the sides of the lister plow is caused to flow directly into the path of said forward ends of the main scraper blades: In this manner, spillage in the ditch o scraped earth is minimized.

Another important object of the invention is to mount the extension blades and forward ends of the corresponding main scraper blades for lateral adjustment in unison; a novel power actuated mechanism being provided to accomplish suchadjustment.

6 It is also an object of the invention to provide a lister unit which is designed for heavy duty use, being relatively simple but rugged in structure.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable lister unit for ditchers, and one which will be exceedingly effective forthe purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as willfully. appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim I l lnthe drawings'z' Fig. 1 is a side elevation, somewhat diagrammatic; of a ditch digging and cleaning implement; such implement being fitted with the lister unit.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, with certain parts omitted and certain parts cut away.

Fig. 3 is a'fragmentary transverse section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse section on line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the lister unit-is indicated generally at l, and is shown as mounted in connection with a ditch digging and,cleaning implement which includes a rigid, elongated frame 2. The main frame 2 is vertically adjustably supported, at the front end, froma front wheel truck 3 having a forwardly projecting drawbar 4 adapted to couple to the tractor. The front wheel truck 3 is mounted on 1 Claim. (Cl. 37--98) the forward end of a 'gooseneck 5 pivoted, as at 6, to the front end of the main frame 2 for rela tive vertical articulation. A post structure I upstands from'the rear end of the gooseneck 5 in rigid relation and forming therewith, in effect, a bellcrank lever. A power cylinder 8 is secured to the main frame 2 and extends at a forward and upward incline to pivotal connection, as at 9, with the upper end of the post structure 7.

Expansion or contraction of the power cylinder 8, working through the bellcrank lever comprised of the post structure 1 and gooseneck 5, causes the main frame 2 to adjust upwardly or downwardly, respectively, at its forward end.

A V-shaped or lister plow I0 is suspended in rigid relation from and below the forward end of the main frame 2, and rearwardly of said lister plow Hi the implement includes, on opposite sides of said main frame, rearwardly and upwardly inclined main scraper blades II which diverge to the rear, as shown. The rear ends of opposite sides of the lister plow I0 and corresponding forward ends of the main scraper blades II are spaced apart some distance, and rearwardly divergent extension blades I2 are disposed in said spaces, beingmounted in themanner, and functioning for the purpose, hereinafter described.

At their rear ends the main scraper blades H I are supported by laterally projecting thrustarms l3 secured at their outerends by double-axis connections M to the blades; the inner endsof the thrust arms l3 being affixed to slide mounts l5 on the main frame 2.

The-thrust arms 12 and I3 are each adapted to be adjusted inwardly or outwardly by a power cylinder l6, only one of whichis shownin Fig. 2.

The rearwardly divergent extension blades 12, which extend between adjacent corresponding ends of the lister plow l0 and main scraper blades H, are mounted as follows:

At their forward ends, and adjacent the rear ends of opposite sides of the lister plow lo, the extension blades [2 are secured in connection with the main frame by pivot pins ll; the arrangement being such that said extension blades 12 are laterally adjustable, as for example betweegi the full line and dotted line positions of Fig.

However, with said extension blades 12 pivoted, as at [1, such adjustment motion does not materially alter the relative positions of the forward ends of said extension blades with respect to the corresponding rear ends of the lister plow Ill.

The following power actuated mechanism is employed to accomplish simultaneous lateral adjustment of the extension blades 42.

A power cylinder is is mounted in the main frame 2 lengthwise thereof, and said power cylinder includes a forwardly projecting piston rod l9, which is connected, at its forward end, to a vertical pin 20. The vertical pin 29 rides, in guided relation, at opposite end portions, between vertically spaced pairs of transversely spaced, longitudinal guides 2i! mounted in the main frame 2.

Pairs of vertically spaced toggle links 22 are journaled at their inner ends in connection with the vertical pin 20 and extend therefrom :in forwardly diverging relation, each pair of said toggle links 22 being secured by a vertical pivot pin 23 to longitudinal attachment plates 23a on the back side of the corresponding extension blade I2. Thus, when the power cylinder I8 is con tracted, the toggle links 22 pull the extension blades 12 laterally inwardly, whereas when the power cylinder I8 is expanded said toggle links thrust the extension blades 1 laterally outwardly.

At their rear ends the extension blades 12 are each connected to the adjacent forward end of the corresponding main scraper blade H by means of a double-axis coimection 2 3, and with such connections said forward ends of the main scraper blades Fl adjust laterally in unison with the extension blades iZ. The purpose of such lateral adjustment is to alter the effective width of the implement; i. 'e. to dig or clean ditches having diiferent bottom widths.

The power cylinders =8, t6, and I8 are adapted to be selectively and independently actuated through the medium of a valve regulated, fluid pressure supply system, the disclosure of which is here omitted However, such valve regulated, fluid pressure supply system is under the control of an operator who rides the implement, at the rear thereof, on an operators seat '25; the implement being supported at said end by transversely spaced rear wheels '26. I

When the implement is in use to dig or clean a ditch, and with the implement being advanced by a tractor, the lister plow ID works the central bottom portion of the ditch and throws the earth to opposite sides, whence said earth is engaged and further laterally diverted by the extension blades 12. From the extension blades 12 the earth 'flows directly into the path of the forward ends of the main scraper blades H, being carried up the ditch bank by the latter blades and deposited atop the bank as spoil material.

The lister unit I, including the extension blades 2, functions efiectively to deliver the 'lister cut earth to the main scraper blades I l, with a minimum of spillage, and in any position of adjustment of the extension blades I2 and scraper blades I I.

The lister unit thus provides a very practical and reliable improvement in a ditch digging and cleaning implement of the type described.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, practice such deviations therefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended-claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

In a ditch digger having a central longitudinal main frame, a lister plow fixed at the forward end of the frame, and main side blades supported intermediate their ends from the frame and terminating at their forward ends rearwardl-y of the plow; laterally adjustable extension blades disposed in the gap between the lister plow and main blades, vertical hinge means between the frame and extension blades at the forward end of the latter, hinge connection means between the main and extension blades, and means to swing the extension blades in and out and comprising a longitudinal ram mounted on the frame, vertically spaced longitudinal guide units on the frame be yond the ram, the latter being in a horizontal plane substantially centrally between the guide units, a vertical pin movable between the guides and engaged by the ram, and vertically spaced pairs of links disposed in vertical planes between the guide units connected to the pin and diverg in-g thence to vertically spaced connections with the extension blades.

V. .BRISC-OE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wright Apr. 3, .1951 

